Architecture is a profound art of creating spaces in reality through strong imaginative and visual competence. It is a journey that adds a whole new dimension to the thought process and the way something is perceived. The courage to create something different or bizarre and still capable of being admired and adaptable by its users is what best describes the craft.
Every architect besides designing spaces and being creative also develops a sense of responsibility. A responsibility towards other’s lives, their feelings and every small experience that is captured by a person subconsciously within the space. Apart from the intellectual understanding, the designer also gradually develops the wisdom to empathize with the layperson, and their way of interpreting the spaces. This empathy helps the architects to design something that would emotionally connect the users and space.
This article aims to convey how architecture, as a profession, substantially changes a person’s way of observing and interpreting the world. Many researchers have conducted their research on how the perception of a layman differs from a person pursuing architecture or is an architect and most of them have concluded that there is a significant gap between the perception of a layman and a person involved in the profession.
Rational Thinking
“Architecture is not an inspirational business, it’s a rational procedure to do sensible and hopefully beautiful things; that’s all.” — Harry Seidler
Rational thinking in architecture is a guide towards designing something which is both exquisite and practical at the same time. It allows us to consider all the parameters affecting the design and build an interesting piece of architecture that the users would cherish their experience using the space.
The Concept behind every Architecture
“Concepts differentiate architecture from mere building…A bicycle shed with a concept is architecture; a cathedral without one is just a building.” — Bernard Tschumi
A Concept in architecture is the backbone around which the design revolves. Every phenomenal built form that we see around us has a beautiful concept hidden behind which adds value to the form and function and how they have evolved in what is existing today. This helps people to resonate with the building and its creator exceptionally and develop a connection with it to an emotional level.
Approach towards a problem
People want to see and experience something different every day. Architecture gives the flexibility to approach a problem in multiple ways and generate multiple solutions. It helps to deviate from the unidirectional thought process and open ways to creative thinking. Design is highly subjective and therefore the approach to reach the outcome can be interpreted differently by every individual which makes them think differently and dissociate themselves from the clichéd form of expression.
The Importance of Details
“God is in the details.” — Mies van der Rohe
Anything without detail is ordinary. They are the integral part of a design that adds value to the ordinary design. It gives a clear understanding of the workability and construction process of a design and also adds to the aesthetic beauty of a structure. The appropriate details impact the project positively and give an impression that a project is completed in every taste.
Perception towards Nature and Surrounding
Architecture always sees the built environment and nature as a unified whole. And therefore, a structure and the nature surrounding it are always seen as a single entity and never in isolation. It makes the designer take responsibility towards balancing the built environment and its surrounding context. It also makes them sensitive towards sustainability and allows them to design something that would help to preserve the planet’s ecological health.
How do designers perceive a building?
As laypersons, we always judge a building or piece of architecture through its external and aesthetic appearances but as architects we see it, analyze its built form, how it has evolved, the functionality of the spaces, its response to the surrounding context, etc.
An architectural marvel, Burj Khalifa which is in Dubai is a skyscraper and is regarded as the tallest building in the world. Every individual looking at the structure is amazed by its height and how aesthetic the structure is. But a person who is involved in the craft of architecture would question from where the form with three wings clustered around its core has evolved and how it has contributed to the strength of its massive height, and many other questions related to its form, the surrounding context, etc.
Architecture has been empowered with the ability to provide habitable and adaptable spaces for people. As a profession, it exposes a person to an entirely different world of creative thinking. It amplifies the imagination and changes how something is observed and visualized. A profession that connects the creator with the people more deeply and emotionally to create something magical and contribute towards giving an experience of a lifetime.
References:
- Gifford, R., Hine, D.W., Muller-Clemm, W. and Shaw, K.T. (2002). WHY ARCHITECTS AND LAYPERSONS JUDGE BUILDINGS DIFFERENTLY: COGNITIVE PROPERTIES AND PHYSICAL BASES. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, [online] 19(2), pp.131–148. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43030605?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3Aa3a4b37a19cc9be38c6004da2d559d5d&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents.
- Teagarden, L. (2015). Architecture: It’s a human thing. [online] L2 Design, LLC. Available at: https://www.l-2-design.com/architecture-its-a-human-thing/ HMC Architects. (2019). How Does Architecture Impact Society? A High-Level Look | Thought Leadership. [online] Available at: https://hmcarchitects.com/news/how-does-architecture-impact-society-a-high-level-look-2019-10-18/#:~:text=Well%2Ddesigned%20architecture%20and%20the
- World Architecture Community. (n.d.). Rational Thinking in Architecture. [online] Available at: https://worldarchitecture.org/articles-links/cmpmz/rational_thinking_in_architecture.html
- Vita Architecture. (2018). Importance of architectural detailing. [online] Available at: https://www.vitaarchitecture.com/architectural-detailing/#:~:text=It
- www.altenergymag.com. (n.d.). How Architects Help the Environment and Save Energy | AltEnergyMag. [online] Available at: https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2013/07/how-architects-help-the-environment-and-save-energy/1276.
- Topolnicka, A. (n.d.). Architect’s taste: Do professional building designers know better what beautiful means in reference to architecture? [online] . Available at: https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:bbcbccda-bbc9-4a87-8d10-1be59eae6268/datastream/OBJ5/download
